It's Only Life
by alwaysmegan1
Summary: A boy, Jaden is abused by his mom and then eventually step dad. Jaden thinks nothing of the abuse, only that it's normal. Then one day someone saves him and he has a chance at a happy and not fearful life.
1. In My Life

**This is a story I thought about after watching a marathon of Law and Order SVU. Okay so grab a box of tissues and read on.**

"BOOM! Ahh no that was my window. Hehe!"

"Jaden come here," I hear my mommy say. What did I do this time? I get up from playing with my toy trucks. My body's all sore from a little while ago.

I walk to the living room and she's sitting on the couch. "Yes, mommy," I say quietly.

"Come here," she pats on the couch next to her. I walk over and sit down. I look down at my hands and start playing with them.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper," she says.

"It's okay," I mumble.

"Jaden..." I keep playing with my hands. "Jaden...JADEN look at me." She grabs my arm and I flinch. I look at her. Her eyes look angry.

"Yes mommy." I whisper.

"Pay attention!" she lets go of my arm. I rub it and I know I'm gonna get a bruise. "okay Jaden look I'm sorry but remember you can't tell anyone because..." she looks at me.

"Cause they take me away from you." I say.

"Who will take you away?"

"Umm...police man." I say.

"And why?"

"Cuz they like breaking families apart and they don't care bout no one but them."

"And if they take you where would they put you?"

"Umm...in...umm..I don't member" I try to think. She told me, but I forgot.

"They put you in foster care and foster care is a very bad place, where they don't feed you..." my mommy says.

"Not ever?" I whimper out.

"No and they make you sleep outside," she says. What? Outside that's scary, bad men can get me. "And they can even kill you."

"Kill me," I whisper. "But why I only 5."

"They don't care..." she says.

I look down at my hands.

"But that's why you can't tell anyone. Not your teacher, the principal, or the police...because the police are strangers and you never..."

I look at her. "You never talk to strangers."

"Good. Now do you love me?"

"Yes mommy I love you very much."

"Good now gimme a hug." she puts her arms out and smiles. I smile and hug her really tight. Tight enough so it wouldn't hurt.

* * *

><p>I look at the bathroom mirror. Mommy said I have to brush my teeth. So I'm standing on a blue step because I can't see over the sink. I have brown hair with bangs and green eyes. I smile at myself and stick out my tongue. I do this for a while.<p>

"Did you brush your teeth?" I jump and mommy was at the door.

I nod. But I know she knows I'm lying.

"Don't freaking lie to me!" she puts the toilet seat down. "Okay come here! Since you can't do it yourself I'll do it for you, you baby!"

I stare at her. "I'm not a baby," I get out.

She glares at me.

My heart is beating really fast and I can't move.

"OH MY GOD!" She grabs both of my shoulders and lifts me up. "Yes you are! Why don't you listen to me for once?" She throws me to the ground.

"Ahhhhh!" I start to cry because I land on my arm.

"Shut up!" She grabs me from the floor and sits me on the toilet. She starts brushing my teeth in between my crying. "Stop crying!"

But I can't. It's hurts too much. My arm is stinging.

"Stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about!" I start crying even more. "I give up! Go to bed when you're finished?" She gets up and walks out.

I get up and rub my arm. "ahhh," I groan. I walk to my room and lie down on my bed. I look at my blue ceiling. Why does mommy hit me? I know she loves me but why does she hurt me?

* * *

><p>"Bye mommy!" I yell at the door.<p>

"Bye sweetie I'll see you after school!"

I run to the big yellow school bus. "Hello, Jaden," the bus lady says.

"Hello Mrs. Bus Lady." I sit down two seats behind her. I look outside and rub my arm. It's still hurts from yesterday.

"What's wrong?" I jump and turn around and see Tristan sitting next to me.

"Nothing I fell."

"Fell how?"

"I tripped when I was running."

"why was you running?"

"I dunno, quite being nosey." I say.

"Okay, okay Jaden Smmmmooorreees!"

"It's not Jaden Smores, it's Jaden Somers, like the season."

"But it's spring, shouldn't it be Jaden spring!" he starts laughing.

"That's no funny."

"I thought it was."

"this gonna be a long ride!"

"No it's not its only ten minutes!"

"Ughhhhh." I groan and rub my arm.

* * *

><p>We were all sitting on the magic rug. All of them have different colors. I was color sky blue. The teacher starts talking, "okay class remember tomorrow is parent day."<p>

"what's parent's day again?" someone shout.

"Okay, parent day is when your parent or guardian comes and talk about their jobs to the class. And I already sent a paper home last week explaining it to them."

"Is it like a party?" someone says.

"If you want to bring snacks, then yes you can, does everybody understand?"

"YES!" We all shout. Hmmm...I guess maybe mommy can come. But what does she do?

* * *

><p>I wonder is mommy wants to come?<p>

"Jaden...Jaden..Jaden...Jaden"

I turn to face Tristan; he's sitting next to me on the bus, again. "WHAT!"

"I'm bringing my daddy to parent's day. Are you bringing your daddy?" Tristan asks.

"No, I don't have a daddy."

He gasps, "why not?"

"I dunno."

"Has your mommy ever told you?"

"I never ask before."

"You should cause my daddy's the best!"

Maybe I should ask mommy about daddy? I hope she won't get mad.

* * *

><p>"MOMMY I HOME!" I scream. I run to the kitchen to get a snack. I drop my backpack on the floor. I open the fridge and see milk. I love milk. I grab it and put it on the table. It's kind of heavy. I get a cup and open the milk lid. I got this. I lift it up and start pouring in into my cup.<p>

"JADEN!"

I jump and the milk slips and falls to the ground. "Oopsis." There's a puddle of white milk on the ground.

"Jaden what did I say about screaming when you...WHAT THE HELL!" she walks in and sees the puddle of milk.

"It slipped." I say in my bestest voice. "I'm sorry mommy." I say nervously.

She grabs my arms and shakes me, "can't you do anything right, god your such a pain in my ass!" she pushes me and my shoulder hits the table.

"Ahh!," I fall on the floor and land on my knees.

She grabs a cloth and throws it at me. "Clean it all up, it better be all gone by the time I get out the shower!" she storms out.

At least she didn't hit me that hard this time. I rub my shoulder. It starts to sting. I put the cloth on the puddle of milk. It soaks it up like a sponge. I smile, that was easy. I lift the cloth and the milk is kind of gone. I get up and put the cloth in the sink and the milk container in the trash.

* * *

><p>"SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, SPONNGEEBBOOBBB SQUAARREEPPAANNTTSS! Doo da doo de boop!" I love SpongeBob.<p>

"Okay Jaden the babysitters gonna be here in 5 minutes so be on your best behavior," my mom is wearing her work clothes.

"Mommy what's your job?"

"I'm a nurse."

Is that a doctor?"

"I'm like an assistant to a doctor."

"member tomorrow is parent day at school, are you gonna come?"

Oh Jaden I don't know," My mom goes in the kitchen, "I'll see if I can get off that day."

So that's a maybe and maybe means yes or sometimes no. Hmmm.

"ugh, Jaden come here!" mommy yells.

I get up and walk to the kitchen. She's glaring at me. I walk over to her.

"Yes mommy." I whisper.

"What's this?" she points to the ground.  
>"It's the floor, mommy,"<p>

"don't be smart." she grabs my arm and makes me feel the floor. It feels sticky. "what does it feel like?" she yells.

"Sticky." I whimper out. She's still grabbing my arm and it hurts. I bite my lip.

"Yes sticky! Can't you do anything right!" she pushes me to the floor.

"Ahhh!" I get on on my knees, "Ssssorry, I sorry."

"you're not sorry! You're freaking lying!"

"I'm not lying mommy, promise."

"Now you're saying I'm lying!" she screams.

I start crying and shake my head no.

She grabs my arm and yanks me up, "you're such a baby!" She lifts her hand up and slaps my cheek. My cheek starts burning. I put my hand on my cheek and start crying even more. She let's go of my arm and I fall down. She kicks me in my tummy. That hurt really bad.

"Ahhhhhh, please mommy I sorry!" I curl into a ball.

"God I should have gotten a freaking abortion." she starts cleaning the floor with some spray. "Then I wouldn't have to deal with you." She gets up and she kicks me again, but this time it was my leg. It starts throbbing. I cover my head.

"Stop crying!" I feel a sharp pain in my back because she kicks me in my back, extra hard.

"Ahhh!" I scream. That hurt the most.

DING DONG! The doorbell rang.

"Oh shit, hey come on get up." she grabs my arm and picks me up. But my tummy hurts. I feel like I have to throw up. I'm barely standing. "Here come on." she picks me up and lays me down on the couch. I'm still crying. "Stop crying and say nothing!" she growls. She gets up and ran to the door. I hear her talking to the babysitter.

"Hi, thanks for coming. Okay I'll be back at 6:30 and he just had a tantrum and tripped over the rug all pissed off. So yeah, you can order a pizza and I'll be back soon. Bye."

"Hi Jaden." Kristy my babysitter walks in. She's 14 and she lives down the street.

"Hi Kristy."

She sits down by my feet, "so how's your little life?"

"It's just okay."

"Just okay" she smiles.

"yes, sir!"

"Its ma'Am."

"okay, okay." I sit up. "Ahhh!" My back, tummy and leg hurts.

"You okay? What's wrong?"

"I tripped over the stupid rug!" I rub my back and hold my tummy.

You wanna watch TV?"

"okay," I lie back down and watch SpongeBob. I close my eyes. I hope mommy isn't mad when she gets home.

* * *

><p>"Jaden, Jaden, wake up sweetie."<p>

I open my eyes and mommy is in front of me. She puts her hands through my hair. I finch.

"I got some bad news; I can't go to parent day. I have to work."

"It's okay."

"But hey after school, we'll go out."

"Really! Where?"

"how about chucky cheese!"

"Yeah!" I yell.

"Haha okay it's a date."

I stretch and it still hurts, "Ahh." I sit up and mommy looks at me funny. "Can I ask you something?"

"yes." she replies.

I gulp. "Do I...um...do i have a ummm...ummm a daddy?"

She thinks for a long time. I start to count and I reach 50. "Well you used to, but he passed away."

"What's passed away?"

"It means he's dead!"

I look down at my hands.

"kay time for bed." she says

* * *

><p>I look at my ceiling again. It was time for sleep. I wish I got to meet my daddy. I wonder if he's like mommy. Will he hit me when he gets mad? I hope not. I wonder if mommy has any pictures of daddy.<p>

Chocolate chip cookies are yummy.

"Okay everybody take a seat." my teacher says.

I'm at the snack table. I limp to the rug. My leg still hurts.

It was parent day and a lot of parents were here. There was a firefighter, house seller lady, a person who cuts hair, and a police man. An evil police man. He started talking about how he helps people, but he's lying. The police man is Tristan's daddy, but he still is a stranger. "Who wants my hat?" he says at the end of his lies. Everybody raises their hand and keeps saying, "oh me, me!" but I don't want no hat from him. I didn't raise my hand.

"Hmmm let's see," he looks around and he sees me. He walks over and stands in front of me. "Do you want my hat?"

I shake my head no.

He gets down to my level, so he's looking right at me, "what's your name?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." I say.

"Well I'm not a stranger. I'm Tristan's daddy."

"Well I just met you for the first time today and you're a stranger."

"I'm a police man, buddy."

"You're still a stranger." I glare at him.

"Do you know what a police man does?"

"I think you said it while you was talking, but I wasn't paying attention at all."

"Haha a police man saves people buddy, we keep everywhere safe."

"Not everywhere," I whisper that barely I could hear it. "So how do you keep everywhere safe?" I said everywhere sarcastically.

"We set the law and put bad guys in jail."

"So you're like a superhero."

"Yes except we don't have powers just skills."

Maybe he isn't evil. "Okay, then I'm Jaden." I put my hand out.

He shakes my hand. His hand is huge. "So do you want my hat?"

I nod, "yes please."

He puts the hat on top of my head. It's big, but it was cool. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Jaden."

He sits down and then another parent starts taking.

"Ahhh." I flinch. I felt something poke my back. It poked my bruise. I turn around and see Ryan.

"What." I whisper.

"Lucky."

I turn back around and smile. The police man wasn't bad at all. He was nice. Why was mommy lying? I wanna be a police man when I grow up.

* * *

><p>My leg doesn't hurt a lot anymore, just a little. I can't wait until mommy takes me to Chucky Cheese. I limp to the front door and try to open it, but it won't move. "Hey what's going on!" I try to open it again, but it's locked. I bang on it, "Mommy!" Where is she? I sit down on the steps. It's kinda windy and cold. I shiver a little bit.<p>

* * *

><p>I see the big kid bus. Then that means it's been two hours. What's taking mommy so long? I'm still wearing the police man hat.<p>

"Jaden?"

Mommy? I look up, but it's not her. It's Kristy.

"Hi," I mumble.

"Where's your mom?"

I shrug my shoulders.

She walks past me. I look at her and she's trying to open the door. "Do you have a key?"

"I'm five, does it look like I have a key and if I did why would I be waiting out here?"

"You got a point there." she comes and sits next to me. "Nice hat," she pulls it off my head. "Where did you get it?"

"I got it at school, from a real police man! Did you know they're not evil."

"well, yeah...wait did you think they were evil?"  
>I nod.<p>

"Who told you that?"

I shrug my shoulders, "nobody."

She put the police hat back on my head. "Okay, well I'm on duty let's go get ice cream."

"Yeah!" We get up and she grabs my hand. The ice cream store is down the street.

* * *

><p>Me and Kristy sit at a table outside the ice cream store. I get mint n' chip.<p>

"Are you okay?"

"yes, why?"

"Then, why were you limping."

I can't tell her that mommy did it. Or mommy will get mad. "I got kicked in soccer." I lie and lick my ice cream.

"You play soccer?"

"Yes, at recess."

She looks at me.

"I suck at it, though." that's the truth.

"Yeah, me too."

I finish almost all my ice cream and Kristy eats all of it.

"Okay, let's go to the park." Kristy says.

"Yeah!"

The park is two streets from the ice cream place, but I've never been here. Mommy never takes me.

"Well go on, go play!"

"Okay!" I run to the playground and I ignore my leg. It doesn't hurt anymore.

Kristy comes on and we play tag. She's it and she can't catch me. I stop and start to sing, "You can't touch this."

"haha jeeze you're fast," Kristy says. She has her hands on her knees.

"I'm flash!" I run away. "Vroom!" This is the best day of my whole life. I wish my mommy was like Kristy. Kristy would be a good mommy.  
>I go over to the swing and sit on it. "Push me!"<p>

"What's the magic word?"

"Push me high!" I scream.

She doesn't move and puts her hands on her hips.

"Pretty please with a cherry on top." I say in my bestest voice.

Okay since you said it like that." Kristy walks behind me and pushes me. The wind is going through my hair. I close my eyes and I'm flying. I'm flying away from here. I smile. I open my eyes and I'm still here. Darn it. I close my eyes again. I can fly, I can! Maybe if I let go, I'll fly away. I open my eyes and jump and I'm in air. I smile but I start to fall. "Ahhhh!" I hit the ground hard. I land on my knees and arms. My hat flies off my head.

"Oh my god! Jaden are you okay!" Kristy runs over to me.

"Ouch that hurt." I sit up and wipe my pants and elbows, there's dirt on both of them. It's starts to sting, but it doesn't hurt as much as Mommy. I grab my hat and put it on my head.

"Are you okay?" Kristy kneels down, "here let me see your knee."

She's going to see my bruises and I'm gonna get in trouble, "No!"

She looks at me confused.

"I mean, umm...it's not even that bad. I'm not a baby."

"Yeah, I know but you could of cut it and there could be bacteria on it."

"What are bacteria?"

"It's like a germ."

"But I have pants on."

"It can go through it."

"I'll get it cleaned up when mommy gets home."

"Yeah, about that, we should go to your house to see if your moms back."

What? "I don't wanna." I say.

"What if she's there and she's worried."

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Umm," she looks at her watch, "4:45."

"See, mommy doesn't get back till 6:30,"

"I don't know..."

"Please, please," I beg.

"Okay, you go play."

"Yay!" I cheer.

"But I gotta finish my homework."

"Okay." I get up and run up the slide.

"hey you wanna play tag?" a boy asks me.

"Okay, I'm Jaden." I say.

"I'm Dustin, okay come on that tall kid is it."

"okay."

"oh and I like your hat."

"Thanks." I start running.

* * *

><p>"Okay Jaden come on, time to go!" Kristy yells.<p>

"What time is it?" I yell back.

"6 o' clock!"

"Coming!" I yell, "I gotta go."

"Is that your sister?" Dustin asks. We are sitting in a sandbox.

"No," I get up, "she's my babysitter. Bye!"

"bye Jaden!" he yells.

"Bye!" I run over to Kristy. "Hi!"

"Hi! You're dirty."

"I'm a big boy." I say.

"Yeah, you are, okay let's go." she grabs my hand.

* * *

><p>I can see my house and mommy's car is there. "Look mommy's home!"<p>

"Yeah I can see that." Kristy says.

I'm going to tell her I made a new friend. I jump up the front steps and open the front door. "Mommy I home!"

"Jaden!" mommy yells. I hope she's not mad. "oh, hi Kristy."

"Hi, Mrs. Somers, I hope you don't mind, but I took him to get ice cream and we went to the park."

"Oh that's okay," she tells her. Maybe she's not mad. "Did you have fun?" mommy asks me.

I nod my head, "yes."

"Okay that's good, here you go Kristy." she hands Kristy some money. "Okay bye." Kristy leaves and mommy closes the door.

Mommy looks at me, "what the hell!"

"Huh?"

"don't act dumb, why the hell did you leave!"

"Kristy said it was okay." I step back.

She walks over to me and grabs my arm.

Ahhh!" She's squeezing my arm really tight.

"Well it's not okay, and why did you get ice cream!"

"Kristy got me some." I feel water in my eyes.

"Well now I'm going to have to pay her back! Money doesn't grow on fucking trees!"

"I'm sorry mommy."

"no your fucking not, while you were playing, I was working hard!"

"I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me." my eyes start to get wetter.

"What! Are you going to cry now?"

I shake my head no. "No."

"And why are you dirty!" she screams in my face. I look at her hand and they're curled in fists. I gulp. "Ahhhh," she screams and I see her pull back her fist. No! I close my eyes. I feel something hard hit my eye and I fall down. It's stinging. I put my hand over my eye and I start crying.

"Stop crying! You baby!" she screams.

"Ughh!" she kicks my tummy. it feels like I have to throw up.

"And what the fuck is this?" she pulls my hat off my head and lifts me up by my hair.

"Ahhhh!" I grab her hands.

"Well what the hell is this!" she pulls harder.

It starts to sting, "it's a police man hat, ahh!"

"Why were you talking to the police!"

"He he's Tristan's daddy." I cry out.

"Well that doesn't give you an excuse!"

"Ahh, but he said he's good and he's saves people...ughh"

"well he lied to you!"

"No he didn't." I say.

She glares at me. "That's why you don't fucking talk to them!" She pushes me and I fall down.

"I'm sorry mommy please don't hurt me!" I start crying.

"God can't you do anything right!" she kicks me in my tummy. "You should fucken listen to me!" Another kick. "Never ever talk to the fucken police!" Another kick. "Don't get dirty..." Another kick to my back.

I curl into a ball. I close my eyes and cover my face. Three kicks...four kicks..."where's the good police man now!" Another kick.

"Ahhhhh!" I feel dizzy. Everywhere is stingy. Four kicks...seven kick...Five kicks...six, no eight kicks. Each kick hurts really bad.

"The police man isn't going to save you, not you, you worthless piece of shit!"

Four kicks...seven kick...Five kicks...six, no eight kicks. I close my eyes really tight. Eating ice cream, playing with Dustin, talking to Kristy, even playing with Tristan, mommy hugging me, mommy not hitting me...Mommy?...then darkness.

* * *

><p>The floor is cold. I open my eyes and see the wall. What time is it? My body's all sore. I try to get up but it hurts to much. The whole house is dark. Maybe Mommy is sleeping? Mommy really hurt me. I see my police man hat next to me. I grab it and hug it. Why didn't the police man save me? I cry myself to sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>"Jaden!"<p>

I open my eyes.

"Get up! I'm going to work and you're not going to school today or tomorrow!"

It's morning now. I'm still on the floor clenching to the police man hat.

"Come on get up!" she yells.

I try to get up but it hurts too much, "ughh!" I fall back down.

"Oh my god, come on get on the couch!" she grabs my arm and leg and throws me on the couch. I stare at her.

"I called Kristy and she's not coming today or tomorrow."

I hear the bus honk; "the bus is here." my throat is dry.

"Well, you get a early start on the weekend." mommy walks to the kitchen and comes back with frozen peas and a glass of water. "here." she hands me the water. I drink it really fast.

"God don't be a pig!" she yells.

I stop drinking it and take little sips.

"And puts this on your eye." she hands me the bag of peas.

I grab it and put it on my eye, "ahhh!" it's really cold and my eye is feeling like a heartbeat.

"Don't be a baby!"

I look down. I'm not a baby.

"Okay I'll fix you up when I get back, don't open the door or answer the phone no matter what! Got it." she looks at me.

"I...yes...yes." I'm about to say mommy, but she's not my mommy anymore. I look down. "Yes mom."

"Okay good see you later." I see her hand coming to my face. I close my eyes really tight and start shaking. I feel her hands through my hair. Please don't pull it. But instead she just pets it.

"God you're so jumpy."

I open my eyes and she's gone. I hear the door close and being locked. My Mommy's gone forever. I start crying. "I love you, mommy." And even though I'm five I know that will be the last time I say that.


	2. Let it Be

I don't feel any older. I feel the same as yesterday. Owies all over me. Mom got mad at me again. I don't remember what I did wrong. I try my best to be a good boy. But I always mess up. I dig my face into my pillow.

"Jaden!"

I jump up. Mom's at my door.

"Good morning." I say.

"Yeah, yeah get ready for school, I'm going to work." She walks away.

She forgot my birthday. I turn 6 today. But mom doesn't care. I get up and my head starts to hurt. I look at my arms. There are bruises. I guess I have to wear a long sleeve shirt. I look at my legs. And pants.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Jaden!" the bus lady says.<p>

"Hi." I say quietly and sit down. I look out the window.

"Smores!"

I jump. I turn and see Tristan.

"Haha I scared you!" He says.

"Did not."

"Did too.." he sits down next to me. "Happy birthday!"

"At least you remember."

"Huh?" he asks.

"Nothing.." I look down at my hands.

He digs in his backpack and pulls out a ziplock bag. "my mommy baked you cookies!"

I smile. "thanks."

* * *

><p>"...Happy birthday to you!" my whole class sings to me. I smile.<p>

"okay, Jaden you can now get something from the treasure chest." My first grade teacher says.

I open it and there's a lot of cool stuff. I don't know what to get. There's play dough, coloring books, crayons, and a cool looking blue long whistle thing. I grab it and there are holes at the top of it.

"That's a flute." my teacher says. "You can make music with it."

"Really!" I blow it and laugh.

"Okay you can play with it after class."

"Okay." I put it in my backpack. I wonder if mom will remember my birthday when she gets home.

* * *

><p>"What you doing for your birthday?" Tristan asks.<p>

"I dunno."

"What did your mommy and daddy get you?"

"My daddy's dead." I mumble.

"my grandpa is dead to. Do you write to him?"

"No." I look at him.

"Well my mommy and daddy says I should write letters to him every week, so he knows I'm okay. And we go to the cemetery and I put it next to his stone."

"Really...hmm.." I think Tristan is smart.

* * *

><p>I get off the bus and walk towards my house. Mom hides the key in a flower pot. I dig for it and unlock the door.<p>

At first I was scared to be home alone, but I'm scareder when mom's home instead.

I throw the key back in the pot and walk to my room and grab my extra blue folder. I grab a pencil and paper.

#1 Deer daddy it my birthday today. i turn 6. but mom forgot. she no love me no more. she use to but not no more. mom say you die. my best frend Tristan says i shood rite to you and put it by your grave. but i no no where you are. maybe wen i get old mom wood tell me. do you meber me? i no meber you. mom never talks bout you. wen i asks she get realy mad. She hits me and kick me. it use to hurt alot. but rite now it still hurt but not so much. i hope you can read this. bye i love you. love Jaden.

I jump on my bed and hide it behind the crack. I lay down. Will my daddy will be able to read it? I close my eyes. I wonder what he looks like.

"WAKE UP!"

I open my eyes and mom is standing by my door looking really mad.

"WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING!"

"I..." but I can't speak. She runs over to my bed and grabs me by my arm.

"No!" I scream.

She pushes her nails in my arm.

"What are you doing?" a deep voice says.

I look up to see a dark figure by my door like a shadow, "Daddy?"

It nods and walks away.

"DADDY IT'S ME!" I try dragging myself towards the door but mom's pulling me back. "IT'S ME! JADEN! JADEN! NO COME BACK! PLEASE! NO! No... No... No..."

"JADEN... Stop it Jaden..." she grabs my arm.

"NO! NO! NO! PLEASE NO MORE! STOP! NO!"

"Jaden wake up, Jaden..."

Mom starts to fade and then it's all dark. Why couldn't I see daddy's face? I open my eyes. I see Kristy by my bed.

"Are you okay?"

I nod. "Bad dream." I mumble.

"You wanna talk about it?"

I shake my head no. I get up slowly.

"Well happy birthday!" Kristy holds out a blue box.

I smile. "Thank you!" I stare at it. I wonder what's inside.

"Well open it!"

I tear the blue wrapping paper. "Wow." It's a hot wheels driving course. "Thanks."

"No problem birthday boy. Come on let's set it up."

* * *

><p>We play and play. It's so cool. The cars go so fast. We build a really cool course. We add rulers, books, and more of my toys to it. This is the best birthday ever.<p>

I hear the door click. Mom is home. I look up and she walks in carrying nothing. I guess she really didn't remember.

Kristy gets up and walks towards mom, "Hi Mrs. Somers."

I keep playing with my cars. They talk and talk.

"Here I'll help pick up." Kristy says.

"No it's okay he'll do it."

"Okay, bye Jaden! See ya tomorrow and happy birthday!"

I look up and smile. "Bye!" The door closes. I stop smiling and look down and keep playing.

"How was your day?"

"Okay." I mumble.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." I mumble.

She grabs my arm. "What's wrong!"

"Aww...it's my birthday." I mumble. Her hand is around one of my other bruises.

"So..." she let's go of my arm.

"You forgot!" I jump up and run to my room. My eyes feel all wet. Why does she hate me so much?

"JADEN!" mom screams. Oh no she's mad now. She comes in my room. "You cannot run away from me when I'm talking to you! And just because it's your birthday, doesn't make you special!" she grabs my arm and drags me towards the living room.I see my racecar course and she throws me on it. I land on my side.

"Ow!" My arm starts stinging. I close my eyes. Please don't hit me no more...please...no.

"And pick up this junk!" she walks to the kitchen.

I get up slowly. My arm starts throbbing. I rub it and I start cleaning my course. Picking up everything. I make sure it's in my room in the right spot or else mom would get mad again. I sit on the ground in front of the TV. SpongeBob is on. I wish I was like SpongeBob. He doesn't live with his mom.

"Turn it off, time for dinner."

I turn the TV off and I walk and sit at the table. Mom made spaghetti. Yummy. I start to eat it.

"So, what did you do at school today?" mom asks. I look at her and she has a blank expression.

"I...um...learned math." I reply.

"Is that it?"

"Sorta." I stare at my food.

"You wanna hear about my day?" she asks.

"Okay-" I look up at her.

"Well today sucked. I got in a fight with my stupid coworker about my anger issues! Is she crazy! I'm gonna report her for spreading lies and false rumors. I mean she's dumb, saying I should take classes to control it. CONTROL WHAT!" she asks me.

"Um...I don't know?"

"Well didn't you bother listening to me! I'm not your friend I'm your fucking mother! Didn't I ever teach you to respect your elders!"

I can't speak, or else it would make her madder. I have to take it.

"Well answer me, you little piece of shit!"

"Yes-"

"Yes to what!"

"Respecting my elders-" I squeak out.

"'Respecting my elders.' that's a fucking lie!" she screams.

I look down at my food. Why does she hate me?

"I don't see you respecting me. If you fucken respected me you would look at me!"

I keep staring at my spaghetti. It doesn't look so good anymore.

"LOOK AT ME!" she screams. I can't. I'm too scared. My eyes start to get watery. I hear her getting up. I hold onto my chairs arms. Please no. I gulp.

"LOOK AT ME!" she grabs my chin and forces me to stare at her. My heart beats really fast. She glares at me. Her eyes look so scary. I gulp.

"You look just like your father!"

I look down and I'm about to smile but stop myself.

"What are you smirking about? That's not a good thing!" she pushes my chin away. Then I feel a sharp pain on the side of my head. It hurt really badly. I touch it with my hand. "aww." a bruise is going to come soon.

She sits back down in her seat. "Do you wanna know about your stupid father? And take you hand away from your face!"

I put my hand down. "Okay," I whisper. My head is feeling funny.

"Well he was an ignorant lazy bastard, who did nothing but sit on his lazy ass every day!"

Did he do that? Was daddy really like that? I drop my head to my lap.

"Do you think he loves you? Well?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"Don't wiggle your shoulders at me? Answer me!"

"I don't know." I whisper. I think he does.

"Oh you don't know, well are you too stupid to answer a very fricken easy question. It's either yes or no, boy! And look at me!"

He had to love me. He's not mom. He's better than her. I know he loves me. I look up and I glare at mom's black eyes. "Yes."

She lets out an evil laugh. "Are you so sure?"

"Yes. I know he loves me."

"How do you know you never even met him!" she yells.

"I just know. I-"

"Well that's where your wrong dummy! He hasn't even held you or even looked at you. He left us before you were even born!"

"What! You said he died!" I shout. Her face went from mocking to nothing. Like in shock. She didn't know I was going to say that. She's lying. I know she's lying. "You're lying!"

Her face hardens, "Don't you call me a liar, you little piece of-"

"LIAR!" my heart is pounding. I can't take it no more. "All you do is lie! YOU LIE LIE LIE!"

She runs over to me and tries to grab me. But I won't let her. I start hitting and waving my hands all over the place. But mom's stronger.

She grabs my arm and pulls me. I fall down on the floor. I start kicking. She tries to grab my leg.  
>"STOP IT!" She gets hold of my leg and lifts me up in the air.<p>

"NO!" I scream. I start kicking and hitting. Then I feel her hand let go.A sharp pain starts throbbing in my head. Mom drops me on my head. I didn't have time to use my hands for protection. I feel dizzy. "Awww!"

I scream. A pain starts on my ribs. Mom starts kicking me over and over again. I close my eyes. I just have to wait until it's over. Is it ever going to be over? I lose count on how many kicks. I bite my lip. It hurts so bad. I hope to see daddy soon.

* * *

><p>"Wake up!"<p>

I moan and open my eyes. I'm on the couch and mom is at the end of it.

"Do you still think your daddy loves you?" she says.

I nod my head yes.

She runs right over to me. Our faces are almost touching. "Well that's where you're wrong." I can smell her gross breath.

"Didn't you fucken learn your lesson? Dad left and then he fucken died! He didn't give a shit about you! He left because of you!" she gets up and starts pacing the living room.

Mom's lying. She always lies. That's not the truth. I move a little. "Ughh." My ribs feel really sore. I can't breathe fast.

"It's your entire fault! If you weren't born then my life would be easy! I hate this fucken day!" She walks closer to me. "Do you still think he loved you?"

YES. I scream in my head. But if I said that mom would start hitting me again. I have to say no. My nose starts to tingle and everything is getting blurry. I gulp. "No." I whisper. The no was to mom not daddy. I now know that mom will never love me.

"Finally, listen here, nobody will love you! Nobody likes you and no one will help you. Your stuck with me forever!" she walks out of the living room and turns back to me. "You tripped, do you understand?"

I nod my head.

"And don't give the excuse unless they ask for it. And sound convincing!" she turns off the light and walks out to her room.

Its pitch black. I guess I'm sleeping here. It hurts too much to move. Why doesn't mommy love me? Wait no! She's mom not mommy. Do I cost too much money? Maybe it is my fault. My fault that I was born. I wish I was never born. I wish I had a mommy who would love me. A mommy who would remember my birthday and celebrate it too. I would have a big party with all my friends. I smile and sing quietly, "…happy birthday to me...goodnight daddy...I'll always know that you'll love me."

* * *

><p>A month pass and mom doesn't get too mad at me. Only a little a bit if I get too clumsy and break stuff or if I'm too loud.<p>

"Bye Jaden." Kristy says.

Once Kristy leaves Mom throws her purse on the table. I bit my lip. I hope she's not mad. She starts to pace around the living room.

"What's wrong?" I say.

"Never mind you!" she yells. "How can you just sit there without a care in the world? Damn you!"

I look down at my hands.

"What you don't even wanna know what's wrong!"

I look at her. I nod.

"Well I got laid off."

"Does that mean fired?"

"NO! It means I quit!" she screams.

"So you're not a nurse no more."

"Are you that stupid!" she yells.

I look down at my hands. I'm not stupid. My teacher says I'm smart.

"Now I gotta find a new job. A better one." she groans and I hear her walk away. At least she didn't hit me. I get up and walk to my room. I jump on my bed. I stare at my ceiling. Mom doesn't have a job no more.

I get up and grab my blue folder.

#16 hi daddy. mom does not have a job no more. Is that bad? How will she make money. Moms coming. Bye Jaden.

I close my book and throw it in the crack. Mom walks in. "I think I found something!"

"What?"

"A job dummy. I'm gonna do the interview by phone tomorrow and if I get it then we're moving."

"Where?"

"I don't know wherever it's located at. Dinner will be ready in an hour. And clean your room!" she slams my door shut.

I look under the crack. Mom's talking on the phone. She's doing her interview. She made me go to my room. I can't hear or see anything. I can only see her feet. I groan and get up. I hope she gets the job. If not, then...I don't even want to think about it. It's taking forever. I lie on my bed and start to count to one hundred. Then backwards. It's really hard. "43...uh...42...40...no...um..41..."

"Guess what!"

I look at the door and mom looks happy. I like it when she's happy.

"I got the job! We're moving to west Virginia!"

"Where's that at?"

"Ugh, you and your questions!"

"Sorry." I mumble.

"Well it's on the other side of the U.S. Start packing. We leave in a  
>month."<p>

* * *

><p>The next week, two big men come to our house and they put all our furniture in a big truck. Mom made my empty everything from my desk and dresser out. Everything's on the floor. Even my toys.<p>

"Is this going to our new house?" I ask mom once the big men drive away with almost everything.

"Yes."

"Where are we going to sleep without beds?"

"The floor, where else!" she shouts.

Mom sells everything. The TV and my toys. She said she was going to buy me news ones once we move.

The only light we have is from the ones on the ceiling. So at night it's scary and really quiet.

* * *

><p>"Echo! Echo!" the whole house is empty except for suitcases. So it sounds really cool when I yell.<p>

"What are you screaming about?" mom grabs my arm.

"I...I...I was just playing."

"Well stop it!" she let's go of my arm. "Now today is your last day at that school, so behave and don't get in trouble! Understand!" she glares at me.

"Yes."

"I'm not going to be home after you get off school, so you hangout outside."

"Can't I just get the key from the flower pot?"

"No, I'm dropping it off!"

"Off where?"

"To the owner!"

"What about the car? Is it coming in the airplane with us?"

"No, I'm selling it and stop asking questions." she grabs my arm and pushes my toward the door. "The bus is waiting."

* * *

><p>"why do you hafta move!" Tristan yells.<p>

"Because my mom got a new job." I explain.

"it's no fair." Tristan pouts.

"What's not fair?" Jacob turns to face us from the seat in front of us. He has black hair and brown eyes.

Tristan points a finger at me, "He's moving."

"Where?" Jacob asks.

"West Virginia." I reply.

"Where's that?"

"Across the United States."

"Wow that's cool." Jacob says.

"Jacob sit down!" the bus lady yells. He sits back down super-fast. He pokes his head up to stare at me. "I'll miss you." he smiles and turns around.

"Yeah I'll miss you too. You are my bestest friend." Tristan says with a big smile.

* * *

><p>"I don't want you to go!" Tristan yells.<p>

"I'll miss you to." I say. Me and him are sitting in the bus on my way home.

"This is the last time you is gonna be in this bus." he says.

"Yeah I know."

"Hey do you have the hat?" he asks.

"What hat?"

"The one my daddy gave you."

"Oh." The police man hat is at the bottom of my suitcase. I don't want mom to see it again. Or else she'll get really mad. "Yeah." I stare out the window.

The bus stops. "Bye Jaden." Tristan smiles at me.

I get up. "Bye Tristan. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more Smores."

"It's Somers like-"

"-like the season." Tristan mocks.

I laugh and walk off the bus.

"BYE JADEN! BYE SMORES!" Tristan's head is sticking out the window as the bus drives away. I wave.

I sit on my porch. It's kinda windy, since its November. I open my backpack. All of my art projects are in there. I see something blue at the bottom. I grab it and it's my blue flute. I never got it out from my birthday. It was the only present I got, beside the cookies from Tristan, and the racecar course from Kristy. I was too sore to even remember where I put it. Too sad to remember I even got a present, since mom throw away my racecar course the next day. I blow the flute and it makes funny noises.

* * *

><p>The big kid bus finally came. Kristy! I run over to it. A whole bunch of tall people come out.<p>

"Kristy!" I see her and smile.

"Jaden! Here come on." She grabs my hand and we walk to my porch and sit down.

"I'm going to miss you." I say.

"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you to. Are you leaving today?"

"Yep. I made something for you." I dig in my backpack and find the painted picture that I drew of me smiling. "So you will remember me."

"It's beautiful. I'll miss you kiddo. She ruffles my hair.I bit my lip and tense up. Stupid reaction.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just sad...to be moving." I look down at my shoes.

I hear her going through her backpack. I sneak a little glance and she's holding a huge box camera.

"Smile!" she points the camera at me.

I smile my bestest smile ever. It flashes and a paper pops out of it. She grabs it and fans it for a bit.

I smile, "what is..." but I'm not supposed to ask questions, "never mind." I mumble.

Kristy answers my unfinished question, "it's a Polaroid camera. You take a picture and it comes out instantly. Except it has to dry for a while. See." she shows me a square picture and I see my face. "Smile!" she takes another picture, except of the both of us.

"That's cool!"

"Here, you can have it." she hands me the huge camera.

"Really?"

"Yes, so you can always remember me."

"Say cheese!" I yell. We take more and more pictures and she tells me I have to buy some special paper to make the pictures come out fast.

"Where's your mom?" she asks.

"Um... She's taking a nap."

"Ahh I wanted to say bye."

"I'll tell her for you."

"Okay, I gotta go, bye Jaden."

I hug her hoping she doesn't have to leave me. But she does. She walks down the driveway and turns back. She smiles and waves. I wave back sadly. I'll miss her forever. Why do people have to leave me? Except for Mom. She'll always be there. I feel my eyes getting watery. I wish somebody will love me.


End file.
